Multimedia communication in a virtual environment

• US 8,909,791 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cabasse, Gilbert, Bonnaud, Fabrice
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US13/148,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20120059941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

To set up a multimedia communication between a visiting user and a visited user who are initially present respectively in different virtual spaces in a virtual environment managed by a server (SC) to which the respective terminals (TC) of the visiting user and the visited user are connected via a packet network (RP), the server sets up a video communication between the visited user and the visiting user, following a virtual movement of the visiting user within a virtual space providing access to the space in which the visited user is present, and sets up an audio communication between the visited user and the visiting user, following a virtual movement of the visiting user into the space in which the visited user is present.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a multimedia communication between a visited user and at least one visiting user who are both initially virtually present respectively within different virtual spaces in a virtual environment managed by a server to which respective terminals of the visiting and visited users are connected, wherein the method comprises:

effecting a first virtual movement of the visiting user to a first virtual space, said first virtual space providing access to a second virtual space different from the first virtual space, said second virtual space being one in which the visited user is virtually present;

setting up a video communication between the visited user and the visiting user in response to the first virtual movement;

effecting a second virtual movement of the visiting user from the first virtual space to the second virtual space; and

setting up an audio communication between the visited user and the visiting user in response to the second virtual movement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visited user receives at least one of a visual or audible notification of the first virtual movement before the video communication between the visited user and the visiting user is set up.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second virtual movement is effected in response to a request of the visiting user, provided the visited user had previously authorized the visiting user to access the second virtual space.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second virtual space is associated with a lock identifier in a first state, initially configured by the visited user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second virtual movement is effected in response to a request of the visited user.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second virtual space is associated with a lock identifier in a second state or a first state, initially configured by the visited user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the video communication between visited and visiting users, no video communication flow emitted by the visited user is received by the visiting user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second virtual space is associated with a transparency indicator in a first state, initially configured by the visited user.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein no video communication flow emitted by the visiting user is received by the visited user.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second virtual space is associated with a transparency indicator in a second state, initially configured by the visited user.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio communication is not set-up in a time period after the first virtual movement and before the second virtual movement.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting up the video communication precedes setting up the audio communication by some time period.

13. A server for setting up a multimedia communication between a visited user and at least one visiting user who are both initially virtually present respectively within different virtual spaces in a virtual environment managed by the server to which respective terminals of the visiting and visited users are connected, wherein the server is operative to perform the steps of:

setting up a video communication between the visited user and the visiting user in response to a first virtual movement of the visiting user to a first virtual space, said first virtual space providing access to a second virtual space different from the first virtual space, said second virtual space being one in which the visited user is virtually present, and

setting up an audio communication between the visited user and the visiting user in response to a second virtual movement of the visiting user from the first virtual space to the second virtual space.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the audio communication is not set-up in a time period after the first virtual movement and before the second virtual movement.

15. The server according to claim 13, wherein setting up the video communication precedes setting up the audio communication by some time period.

16. A non-transitory machine readable media including a computer program capable of being implemented within a server for setting up a multimedia communication between a visited user and at least one visiting user who are both initially virtually present respectively within different virtual spaces in a virtual environment managed by the server to which respective terminals of the visiting and visited users are connected, said program including instructions which, whenever the program is loaded and executed within said server, carry out the following steps:

effecting a first virtual movement of the visiting user to a first virtual space, said first virtual space providing access to a second virtual space different from the first virtual space, said second virtual space being one in which the visited user is virtually present;

setting up a video communication between the visited user and the visiting user in response to the first virtual movement;

effecting a second virtual movement of the visiting user from the first virtual space to the second virtual space; and

setting up an audio communication between the visited user and the visiting user in response to the second virtual movement.

17. The machine readable media according to claim 16, wherein the audio communication is not set-up in a time period after the first virtual movement and before the second virtual movement.

18. The machine readable media according to claim 16, wherein setting up the video communication precedes setting up the audio communication by some time period.